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Among the Dance Treatises (Naattiya Noolkal) composed in Tamil by the great Dance Gurus of Tamil Nadu at different periods of it's early history, and that are available to us today are the follows:

(1) Paratha Senapathiyam - Author unknown, but bears the name of an earlier text in Tamil of the same name by Aathivaayilar (and not available to us today)
(2) Paratha Sangiraham - Aramvalarththan
(3) Maha Paratha Chudamani - Abridged translation of the Sanskrit text
known as Maha Baratham by Sarangathevan, into Tamil by Somanathan
(4) Abinaya Tharpanam - Translation of the Sanskrit text on Abinayam by
Nandikeswarer, into Tamil by Veerarahavaiyan
(5) Baratha Siththantham - In Tamil by an unknown author
(6) Silappathikaram - by Elango Adikal. The third chapter titled the"Arangettru Kaathai" of this great Tamil Epic of the second century
A.D., provides enough informations on the original Dance Forms of
Tamilnadu of that period. It also refers to a "Natya Nanool"

Further the commentator of this Epic namely Adiyarkku Nallaar too provides useful informations on the Dance Forms of Tamil Nadu of the relevent period.

There are few very late period Naattiya Noolkal composed in Tamil which
are as follows.

(4) The "Kooththa Nool" - the only Sangam Period Tamil Dance Treatises available in Tamil Nadu[/b][/u][/color]

In addition to the above we now have an original treatise composed in
Tamil by the Dance Guru "Saaththanaar" known as the "Kooththa Nool", and
belonging to the Sangam period of Tamil Nadu.

Among the Dance treatises composed in Tamil mentioned above, none of
them refer to the classification of the Dances that was in vogue in the
ancient Tamil Nadu of the Sangam Period, as Veththiyal and Pothuviyal

Veththiyal - Dance performed for the kings and nobles.Pothuviyal - Dance performed for the common people.

This above classification of Tamil Dances that existed during the Sangam
& Kaappiam periods is clearly indicated in the great Tamil Epics - the
Silappathikarem and Manimehalai as follows:

This same classification is also found in the Kooththa Nool, which
indicates the antiquity and the period of composition of this Dance
Treatise, other than our deduction of same from the other contents in
this treatise. The reference is as follows:

(5) The other Sangam Period Tamil Dance Treatises presently lost in
Tamil Nadu

Further in the Adiyaarkku Nallaar's commentry on Silappathikarem, he has
mentioned the names of the other ancient original Dance Treatises
composed in Tamil, which were availble during the Sangam period, but
were not available even during the Adiyaarkku Nalaar's time in the
twelth century A.D. They are namely the,

All the above works on Tamil Dance Forms are now lost to us over a
period of two millennium (2000 years). Adiyaarkku Nallaar's commentry on
Silappathikarem also states that "......Natakath Thamil Noolaahiya
Baratham, Akaththiyam muthalakavulla thon noolkal iranthana.....". From
same it is clear that there had been a Tamil Treatise called Baratham
earlier but lost even during his period.

Also the Barathasenaapathiyam of Athivayilaar which was available during
the period too is lost to us today.

(6) The discovery of the "Kooththa Nool" in it's Ola Manuscript form

Adiyarkku Nallaar in his commentry on Silappathikaram has also made use
of another Tamil Dancing Treatise that was available to him at his time
known as Kooththanool. This treatise after disappearence for some time,
very fortunately was brought back to light by the good efforts of Thiru
S.Yogiyar of TamilNadu of our period. He discovered a copy of this
treatise in Ola Manuscript form with few sections damaged badly beyond
recovery. However the major part of this work has now been preserved.

(7) Further Sangam Period Tamil Dance Treatises presently lost in Tamil
Nadu, as gleaned from the Kooththa Nool

Saaththanaar - the composer of this treatise, had access to the other
original Tamil works on Tamil Dance Forms and Music during the period of Third Thamil Sangam namely the,

(8) A brief study on the contents of the Sangam Period Tamil Dance
Treatise the "Koothatha Nool"

He confirms that it was based on the above he composed his Kooththa Nool on
the subject of Tamil Dance. This clearly indicates the antiquity of this
treatise as that of the Sangam period.

The treatise has nine chapters. The first book on this treatise with
text and detailed commentry of the first two chapters by Thiru S.Yogiyar
has been put to print by the Tamil Nadu Sangitha Nataka Sangam. But
before Thiru S.Yogiyar could write his commentry to the remaining
chapters and put them too in print, he has passed away. The fate of the
balance chapters is not known to us today.

I give below the brief details of the contents of all nine chapters as
indicated by Thiru S.Yogiyar himself in the first part of the treatise
already available in Print.

This masterly treatise in Tamil on the ancient art of dance is divided
into nine books. The contents of each book are given below in a
condensed form.

(1) Suvai Nool (Aesthetic Emotions)
Divine origin of dance, music, drama, the evolution of sounds, shapes
and emotions both natural and aesthetic, their manifestation, in all
their possibilities and limitations as a theoretical art and craft.

This is the first book of its kind and stands out singular and
distinguished in many respects.

The first part of this book with Thiru Yogiyar's commentry for the first
two chapters of this treatise namely the Suvai Nool and Thokai Nool has
been published (September 1968) in printed form by the Tamilnadu
Sangita Nataka Sangam of Chennai. (Printed at Shanthi Press, 135,
Pavalakkarath theru, Chennai).

It was very unfortunate Thiru Yogiyar died thereafter. The fate of the
remaining seven valuable chapters of this treatise is unknown.

By way of this Hub Portal column, I request the authorities of the Tamil
Dance & Music Institutions of Chennai, or the leading Dance exponents
of Chennai, or individuals with the assistance of the Tamilnadu
Sangitha Nathaka Sangam of Chennai trace the present whereabout of the
remaining chapters of the Kooththa Nool and publish same in printed
form, and preserve this only original Tamil Treatise on Tamil Dance of
the Sangam Period for the benefit of or Tamilians.

Now there are few sections in the first book of this treatise, available
to us in the printed form, which I wish to reproduce below both in
English for the benefit of those who wish to know of the,

(a) Antiquity of this treatise
(b) The other original Dance & Music treatises that were available
to the author of Koothanool namely Saththanar during Sangam
period.
(c) The antiquity of the concept of God Siva's form as Nadarajar
(d) The first available referance to the "Om" pranava manthiram to
be found in any ancient Tamil Literary work known to us.

The readers could make use of them for their own research in the
respective fields and make their own deductions with help of same.

There are also further references to Siva, Sakthi, Thirumal and Murukan.

This treatise should be preserved,and efforts should be taken by all
Tamil Fine Art lovers to bring the remaining portions of this great work
on Tamil Dance in to print.

Note:

New addition to the existing Thread - 14/9/2008

In my efforts to trace the balance chapters of this valued original Tamil Dance Treatise belonging to the Sangam period of Tamil Nadu, I came to know that the Tamil Nadu Sangitha Nataka Sangam who publised the first part of the Kooththa Nool - is now known as the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Naataka Mantram and is located at Chennai - 28.

After the death of Thiru S.Yogiyar this Mantram obtained all the manuscripts of this Treatise that was left with Thirumathi Yogiyar, and with her kind permission published only the Text of the available lot of chapters "as they are", without editing or giving any explanatory notes or commentry on same - as Part 2.

The first part of this treatise publised by them has 162 Sooththirams. The second part publised by them has 1339 Soothirams on Dance including the original 162 Sooththirams of first part. However I feel there are some more sections missing in same, when compared with the classification of the chapters made by Thiru Yogiyar himself based on the Ola Leaf Manuscripts. I met the family members of Thiru Yogiyar in Chennai, but was informed the fate of the original Ola Manuscripts after the death of Thiru Yogiyar is not known.

Hence I suggest a team of leading Dance Exponents of Tamil Nadu to get together, and obtain a copy of the (printed) second Part of this Treatise from the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Naataka Mantram - Chennai, study through them, and arrange the subject matter in the Text of the Treatise in accordance with the classification already made by Thiru Yogiyar, and bring forth this Dance Treatise in a format which will be usefull in preserving the ancient Dance traditions of Tamil Nadu, complete with explanatory notes on the Text prepared by this qualified team in Dance, for the posterity of the Tamilians and others, and for adoption of same into the modern 'Dance Forms' of Tamil Nadu.

We are very thankfull to the great services done by Late Thiru Yogiyar and Thirumathi Yogiyar, by preserving and providing the Text of this great Treatise for Print - preventing it being entirely lost to the Tamils of Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in the world. We are also thankfull to the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Naataka Mantram - Chennai, for printing and publishing same, entirely at their own cost.